


Irrefutable

by singingwithoutwords



Series: Marked [3]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Everyone Is Poly Because Avengers, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Misunderstandings, Protective Pepper Potts, Protective Rhodey, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-26
Updated: 2016-01-26
Packaged: 2018-05-16 10:53:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5825797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/singingwithoutwords/pseuds/singingwithoutwords
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony Stark has five soulmates, five roommates, and way too much hope.  He's probably not going to survive this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Irrefutable

It wasn't something anyone talked about in polite company.  Outside of clinics and classrooms, beyond the walls of inner circles, it was ignored, overlooked with the greatest of respect, a taboo subject that no one with manners would mention, which meant it was prime gossip rag fodder even at the best of times.  Really, they were overdue for another round, so Tony couldn't really say he was surprised.  It was really just a matter of shitty timing.  At least there was some small hope that none of his teammates were interested in celebrity gossip, right?

Still, it felt almost like an omen, a sign, if you believed in that sort of thing.  Which Tony absolutely didn't.  But a pointed reminder that he was a freak of nature on the day the rest of the team (minus Thor, who was back in Asgard overseeing whatever Asgard had in mind with Loki) were supposed to move in made him uncomfortably aware that not believing in something didn't necessarily mean it wasn't real.

“At least none of them are accurate anymore,” he said with a sigh, dropping the hardcopy in his hand on the floor next to the coffee table.

Pepper gave him an exasperated look, picking it up and rolling it into a neat tube.  “Assuming no one's holding onto older copies of the information, it shouldn't even come to testing this time around,” she agreed.  “Most of the chat shows are revisiting the story, if only briefly, and FOX has it scheduled for a topic on today's Culture Warriors segment.”

Tony groaned theatrically, slumping further down in his chair and not caring what it was doing to his suit jacket.  “I feel like this is bad luck.  Is this bad luck?  I haven't done anything lately- they usually wait for me to do things before they gang up on me.”

“This is not bad luck,” Pepper said.  “It's just bad timing.  Ignore it like you always do.  I just wanted you to be aware in case any of them decide to ask you about it.  I didn't want you blindsided.”

“This is why you're my favorite.  How's Warren?”

Her lips curved up into that dopey, indulgent smile they always did when Tony asked about her soulmate.  “Warren is fine,” she said.  “We're talking about moving in together soon.”

“You know I'd give you a floor here if you wanted,”

“I told Warren as much, but he's just not comfortable with the idea.  We're also talking about getting a dog, and the logistics of dog-walking from the 65th floor are nightmarish just to think about.”

Tony nodded.  “Okay.  Feel free to bankrupt the company to find your dream home- I can always rebuild it.”

“Don't even joke like that,” Pepper said, but she also laughed, so he grinned back at her.

It was a good thing things hadn't gone too far between them before they'd broken it off.  Holding back like that made stepping back into being just friends so much easier than it could have been.  The break-up could have been a messy hell, destroyed the company's reputation, tanked the stocks, and given the public gossip fodder for years; instead, it had been a quiet, mutual step back, barely a ripple until weeks later, and there hadn't been any drama for the sharks to feed on by then.

“Anyway, I have a meeting with the Board and the assistant head of R&D,” Pepper said, standing and leaning over to kiss Tony on the cheek.  “Since the actual head of R&D has a more important engagement to attend.”

“Sounds like a busy guy,” he commented, returning the kiss and hauling himself to his feet.  “He's lucky to have such a gorgeous, understanding boss.”

“Mmm, he is.  I wonder sometimes if he knows _how_ lucky.”

“He does,” Tony promised, grinning.  “Get going, run the world.  Terrify misogynists.”

Pepper gave him one last chaste kiss and left, taking the magazine with her and leaving Tony with an hour of time to fill before the team was supposed to arrive.

“J, fire up the lab and set some alarms.  Might as well do some work of our own.”

 

* * *

 

Tony wound up working straight through all of Jarvis’s alarms, finally resurfacing when Jarvis cut out the music and replaced it with a soundfile of Pepper yelling his full name.  He dropped a wrench on his foot, but managed to limp out of the express elevator onto the common floor about half a minute ahead of the Avengers.

Bruce, who’d taken up residence weeks ago, was waiting on the couch with a knowing little grin.

“Glad you could make it,” Bruce said, shutting down his Starkpad and standing as the public elevator slid open, meaning Tony had no chance to retort.  “Hey, guys.  Welcome to the tower.”

Rogers was in the lead, with an army duffel slung over his shoulder and a much-too-small shirt painted on his torso.  Romanov was right behind him, not carrying anything, dressed down in black yoga pants and an oversized bright green hoodie.  Barton had decided to take his cue from the others and wear full tac gear, complete with combat boots and at least two guns that Tony could see.  He was also not carrying any kind of luggage.

“I feel kind of like I’m being invaded here,” Tony commented by way of greeting.  “Also a bit insulted, because that is obviously not Starkgear.  Who made that shit, Hammer?”

“SHIELD did,” Barton said.  “I’ve got a mission as soon as we’re done here.”

“SHIELD needs to learn what vacation days are.”

“Maybe I just don’t want to spend any more time around you than strictly necessary,” Barton suggested with a slight smirk.

Rogers, who’d been looking at Tony and thus hadn’t caught that Barton was a kindred little shit, made a noise like a wounded buffalo.  “ _Clint!_ ”

Tony laughed, shaking his head.  “Tell you what, Barton,” he said.  “Get Cap to make that noise again when you get back, and I’ll make you all the gear your little secret agent heart desires.”

“Deal!” Barton said immediately.  “No take-backs!”

Romanov rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses but kept all comments to herself.

“Anyway, you go ahead and take off, Barton- I’ll give you your own personal tour when you actually have the time to appreciate it.”

“Lucky me,” Barton said, spinning on his heel and heading back toward the elevator.  “Later, bitches.”

Tony kept grinning even after the elevator closed.  He and Barton hadn’t spent much time together, but he could already tell they were going to get along just fine.

Romanov cleared her throat, reminding Tony he still had two other guests to see to.

“Right, sorry,” he said.  “Pleasure to see you again, Agent Romanov.  Do you have any needles on you today?”

“Would you believe me if I said no?” Romanov countered with a smug little grin.  As long as she never stabbed him in the neck again, he could see himself liking her, too.

“Fair enough.  Moving right along.  You all remember Brucie, part-time rage monster with the full-time gorgeous brain.  He’s all settled in and can help you with all the little details I can’t be bothered with.  This is the common floor, free for all, please don’t put holes in my walls unless you absolutely have to.”

“Does that mean we can put holes in the walls of our private areas?” Romanov deadpanned.

“Ooh, don’t make me like you, Widow- I hate liking people I don’t trust,” Tony said with a laugh.  Rogers frowned, but made no comment, so he plowed on.  “Whose floor do you want to see first?”

“Floor?” Rogers repeated faintly.

“His,” Romanov said.  “That way when he faints we won’t have to move him as far.”

Rogers sighed a very old-man sigh and shifted his bag.  “Can we just go?”

 

* * *

 

Steve did not faint at any point during the tour, though he could admit to himself that it was a near thing.

Stark had, in fact, set aside an entire floor for each person on the team, complete with kitchen, bathroom, state-of-the-art everything, and in Steve’s case a studio with floor to ceiling windows and the sort of supplies he’d have sold his soul for back in Brooklyn.  The whole floor was decorated tastefully in warm yellows and woods, with brown granite in the kitchen and matching marble in the bathroom.  Despite its size, the whole place actually managed to feel downright cozy.

Natasha’s floor was done in cherry wood and pastel greens.  The bathtub was even bigger than Steve’s - it looked like a small swimming pool - and every room seemed to have at least one hidden, voice-activated compartment for, as Stark put it, ‘weapons, snacks, chick flicks, whatever a deadly lady such as yourself needs’.  There was a library, too, just as amazing as Steve’s studio.  Steve counted at least four languages on the spines of the books in the brief moment he was in there.  Natasha actually gave Stark a genuine smile and thank you when she saw it.

They skipped by the floor for Clint and the one for Thor (if and when he came back) to get to the gym floor, which was when Steve thought fainting might be a very real possibility, because _wow_.

He didn’t even know what half the equipment was called, or what it was for, but Natasha approved of everything, so Steve trusted it was useful.  It was extensive and impressive, and really drove home two things:

One, Stark was insanely rich.  The concept of ‘billionaire’ was still pretty abstract to Steve, just as much as ‘millionaire’ had been a month (seventy years) ago.  Maybe even more so.  Stark was so rich that completely renovating at least seven floors as well as rebuilding half his tower was nothing to him.

Two, Stark might be abrasive and a bit of an ass, but he was invested in the team. None of the floors, not even the common floor, were generic- everything was personalized and thought out.  You wouldn’t know it to look at him, but he cared about making this work.

After introducing them to the house computer, JARVIS, Stark said something about being late for work and vanished.  Dr. Banner seemed to think it was normal, so Steve let it go and returned to his floor to unpack and settle in, with a promise to meet up for a team dinner later.

Yeah, this could definitely work.  Steve was looking forward to it.


End file.
